Fire & Life Safety Engineer

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Omaha, NE is seeking a Fire & Life Safety Engineer to join its expanding team. This position involves managing fire protection projects, providing code consulting, and executing production tasks within interdisciplinary teams. Candidates should have a degree in a relevant field and PE registration, along with experience in designing fire protection systems. The firm values inclusion and empowerment, promoting a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in technical fire protection design.
• Engineering PE registration required.
• Experience designing fire protection systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage dedicated fire & life safety projects.
• Perform analysis of existing fire protection systems.
• Provide consulting for life safety and code compliance.

Skills

Fire protection engineering

Project management

Code consulting

Hydraulic calculations

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Fire Protection Engineering or related field

Tools

MS Office

Trane TRACE

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe building engineering is more than systems and structures, it’s about powering progress and enabling innovation. As part of HDR’s Building Engineering Services Group, you’ll help design the critical infrastructure that supports the digital age and shapes the spaces where people work, connect, and thrive. From high‑performance data centers driving the future of AI to dynamic commercial environments, your work will directly support technological advancement, sustainability, and human experience. We bring together mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering experts to solve complex design challenges with precision, creativity, and collaboration. Whether you’re optimizing energy efficiency, integrating resilient systems, or engineering the backbone of next‑generation facilities, your contributions will help define the future of the built environment. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead innovation, engineer impact, and build a legacy of excellence.

Fire & Life Safety Engineer

HDR’s Fire & Life Safety (FLS) team is continuing to expand our market sector expertise across HDR’s client base, including Civic (e.g., high‑rises, auditoriums/arenas, detention, recreational), Federal (DoD, NASA, VA, NPS, GSA), Data Centers, Healthcare, Resources (hazardous materials, power, hydropower, waste, oil/gas/LNG, mining, industrial, fuels, material handling), Science/Tech/Labs, Transportation (aviation, rail, roads/bridges, marine, public transit), Water (water/waste/storm treatment), and many more.

Due to rapid growth in our Fire & Life Safety services, we are seeking a highly motivated Fire & Life Safety Engineer to join our multi‑discipline design and engineering teams located in Omaha, NE. This individual will work closely with the regional Fire & Life Safety Business Class Lead and Team Leads, serving as a consultant to both internal project teams and external clients, while also contributing to the development and growth of our Fire & Life Safety practice.

As a member of our FLS team, successful candidates will be tasked with executing production and managing projects. You will also have a key role in providing leadership in continually evolving and delivering our fire & life safety design services which includes active and passive fire and life safety systems, code consulting, life safety and egress evaluations, performance‑based design, fire/smoke/egress modeling, inspection and plan review, hazard and risk analysis, emergency management and planning, structural fire protection, fire root‑cause analysis, and accessibility consulting.

If you are self‑motivated, goal‑ and detail‑oriented, take pride and responsibility for your work, and want to advance your career in FLS within a leading A/E firm that appreciates you and your ambitions, look no further.

Travel (domestic and international) may be required at various times. Travel is estimated to be 15% or less.

The Team

You will join a rapidly‑growing Fire & Life Safety team that provides seamless coverage to projects located across the United States. The overall FLS team is distributed throughout the USA and works as an integrated element in larger A/E teams in a broad range of industries.

Success in this role will require the ability to:

• Know your strengths, foster relationships, and be a proactive communicator.
• Share our desire to grow our FLS team globally.
• Collaborate in a team environment with a positive and helpful attitude.
• Be highly motivated, constantly seek improvement in how we do things, and be willing to take on new challenges.
• Be able to participate in multiple projects immediately in a technical design and consulting role for successful delivery of projects through independent work and engaging other FLS teammates.
• Cultivate good working relationships with project managers, project teams, FLS teammates, and other clients as we grow our team.
• Effectively network with other fire and life safety industry professionals.

Duties and Skills

• Fire protection engineering and code consulting efforts; you may be responsible as engineer of record for projects across the country.
• Project management, responsible for managing dedicated fire & life safety projects and FLS content of interdisciplinary projects.
• Performing analysis of existing fire protection systems, as well as designing new fire protection systems including suppression systems, fire detection, alarm and mass notification systems.
• Providing consulting for life safety, building, and fire code compliance.
• Develop thorough and clear Design Analysis, Summary of Code Requirements and Life Safety Plans, and accurate reports.
• Planning and design details including engineering concepts, distribution plans, riser diagrams, detail drawings, schedules, specifications, design analysis, engineering reports, etc.
• Occasional on‑site project observations and reviews; duties required to fulfill contractual obligations for construction phase services; overseeing other personnel assigned to this responsibility.
• Experience in designing fire sprinkler, suppression, and fire alarm systems layouts utilizing hydraulic calculation programs, and knowledge of NFPA Codes and International Building and Fire Codes is required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Engineering PE registration is required.
• 5 years of technical and experience in a technical fire protection design or consulting role involving fire protection systems.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related field.
• Working knowledge of NFPA codes as applicable to HDR’s project types.
• Cultivate good working relationships with project managers, project teams, FLS teammates, and other clients as we grow our team.
• An enterprising attitude and intrinsic commitment to being an active participant in our unique and dynamic employee‑owned culture is a must.

Additional Beneficial Qualifications

• Experience with one or more of the following: electric fleet vehicle charging facilities, healthcare facilities, data center/mission‑critical facilities, higher education, water/wastewater, industrial process facilities.
• Experience identifying, recruiting, hiring, and managing team members.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered (e.g., PE or P.Eng).
• Previous experience in commercial or institutional facilities.
• Computer experience using MS Office, Trane TRACE or similar software, manufacturer selection software.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other’s life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day. Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Primary Location

Omaha, NE

Schedule

Full‑time

Employee Status

Regular

Business Class

Fire and Life Safety

Job Posting

Mar 31, 2026

EEO Statement

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.

Ready to Learn More?

Let’s work together to make great things possible.

We design solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. We’re always looking for great talent to join our global teams.